Resources on HIV and Aging

Nearly half of people in the United States living with diagnosed HIV are aged 50 and older. Though new HIV diagnoses are declining among people aged 50 and older, around one in six HIV diagnoses in 2016 were in this group. Federal and community partners have released some resources related to HIV and aging that some readers may find useful.

CDC Surveillance Report on HIV and Older AmericansAccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2016 HIV Surveillance Report, people aged 50 years and older accounted for 17 percent of all new HIV diagnoses in 2016 and for 47 percent of persons living with diagnosed HIV infection in the United States at the end of 2015.

Understanding the burden of HIV among different subgroups of older persons can help HIV programs to focus on populations and areas at greatest need for HIV prevention, treatment, and care services. A CDC HIV surveillance supplemental report provides additional data on HIV diagnoses, prevalence, HIV-related deaths among persons aged 50 years and older in the United States and 6 U.S. dependent areas. Read the full report.

HIV and Aging Toolkit for Health Care ProvidersHIV has become a chronic, manageable condition, with life expectancies for those newly infected and on effective treatment approaching life expectancies for people without HIV infection. This progress means that more people living with HIV are aging and facing the challenges of growing older as well. These challenges include increased obesity, lipodystrophy, and related health conditions.

An evidence-based toolkit from the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care is designed to help health care providers who are caring for older people living with HIV to address other health conditions related to aging. The HIV and Aging Toolkit features three modules, each containing an educational webinar that offers one Continuing Nursing Education credit, clinical assessment tools, and additional resources to support quality care for aging people living with HIV. Access the toolkit.

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